as in extra
being over what is needed
any excess food from the party will be donated to a shelter for the homeless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
a new television season with an excess of sitcoms featuring wisecracking teenagers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excessiveness
a propensity for extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits
the wretched excess that is so often found in the world of show business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to lay off
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of excess
Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 29 Jan. 2026
Also, ensure your ficus is in a pot with drainage holes to allow excess water to run away.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 21 Jan. 2026
Use a paper towel to wipe off any excess.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 17 July 2023
That suggests existing protections won’t have much force until the state extends its new worker-misclassification law (which cracks down on employers who rely to excess on gig workers) to temporary employees.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for excess
Adjective
Nothing was off-limits; in fact, excess and embellishment were vocational skills.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 29 Jan. 2026
Also, ensure your ficus is in a pot with drainage holes to allow excess water to run away.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
Any excess is typically excreted or stored as fat.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 21 Jan. 2026
Use a paper towel to wipe off any excess.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Over the past few months, my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening.
—Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 17 July 2023
That suggests existing protections won’t have much force until the state extends its new worker-misclassification law (which cracks down on employers who rely to excess on gig workers) to temporary employees.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for excess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excess
Adjective
-
This year, extra pitfalls exist that could make taxpayers fumble and make a mistake on their tax return.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Qualifying for Europe’s elite competition will add to United’s payroll overheads, but the extra income from playing in it will more than offset that.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Snowfall Breakdown Precipitation data highlights a surplus of snow, regardless of how the season is measured.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Viewing it releases a surplus of dopamine in the brain that leads your body to crave even more dopamine, creating a cycle of addiction.—
Beth Collums,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But what Flanagan’s campaign promotions about her board experience omit are the votes to slash budgets, lay off teachers, and close entire schools as the district struggled with declining enrollments, as well as costly scandals and a new headquarters that ballooned in cost to more than $40 million.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Jan. 2026
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They are forced to take out high-interest loans, drain reserves, lay off staff or cut services, all while continuing to perform work they are contracted to deliver.—
Kristin Brown,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The rooms The 219 rooms including 40 suites perfectly nail that balance of minimalism and luxury without seeming spare, or overly precious.—
Todd Plummer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The spare ingredient list allows the bulb’s true flavor to shine through.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dak got sacked and lost seven yards.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Herbert was sacked a career-high 54 times while playing behind an offensive line that was without top tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater because of season-ending injuries.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Federal Reserve, in an attempt to shore up a softening labor market, trimmed its benchmark lending rate by a quarter-point three straight times at the end of last year.—
Matt Ott,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The Black Edition has black all over, including the body, trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, skidplate, and grille—and even black glass, almost, or privacy glass.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But videos of the incident do not show Pretti brandishing a gun, and one video appears to show an officer removing a gun from Pretti's waistband just moments before another agent fired the first shot.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Once clear, the groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with one preloaded with Ploutus, or connecting an external device, such as a thumb drive, to deploy the malware.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The once-robust plan to build 158,000 square feet of commercial space, including 77,000 square feet of office space, has been downsized.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Grubhub downsized its workforce and put itself up for sale.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excess. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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